


Dinner for Three

by queenribbon



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: Dinner Party, Gen, absolute motherfucking disaster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 10:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3806938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenribbon/pseuds/queenribbon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Cid goes to a dinner party, eats ham, and charms the ladies.</p>
<p>I wrote this for my creative writing class!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner for Three

Vayne surreptitiously tapped his salad fork on Dr. Cid’s empty plate. “Cidolfus, do stop shaking your leg like that.”

Cid, unaware that he’d been violently bouncing the offending limb for the past five minutes, furrowed his brow and finally sat still. “A habit of mine, I suppose. Apologies.”

The function the both of them attended required their best behavior, and he knew that meant Vayne would be watching his every move. There were a great number of very influential Archadian nobles at this dinner, each with a large potential research grant to bestow upon Draklor Laboratories. It was in both Lord Vayne’s and Dr. Cid’s best interests to impress their company - and such feats had routinely proved themselves beyond Cid’s social abilities.

Currently he was observing the interactions between the nobles themselves and getting very little from it. The meaningful glances exchanged were meaningless to him, and the back-and-forth of clever comments and polite laughter seemed to him an impossibly complicated dance. It was in vain, he thought, to attempt making sense of such chaos. Vayne, however, thought differently. He leaned toward Cid as the servants brought forth the first course.

“Do look - Lady Lucrecia seems not overfond of Lord Hamilton. Perhaps that could work to our advantage, were we to pit them against each other.”

Cid gave Vayne a puzzled look before glancing back at the Lady. One of the servants placed a delicately arranged plate of fruit in front of him, which he promptly began to eat as he spoke to Vayne. “From whence does that assumption come? She’s been perfectly civil.”

Vayne rolled his eyes at the older man. “Of course she’s been perfectly civil, for Faram’s sake. But look at her. She’s practically recoiling from him.”

“You don’t say.”

“I do. Stop jiggling that leg.”

He grunted and stilled his leg again. Lady Lucrecia, noticing the both of their gazes from across the wide table, gave a gentle smile. “Lord Vayne, Doctor Cidolfus. Pleasure to meet the both of you.”

“The pleasure is--” Vayne started.

“Of course,” Cid interrupted, meriting an odd look from Lucrecia and an irritated one from Vayne.

“Well. Doctor, you’ve begun a new area of research, is that correct?”

Vayne froze. There’d be no stopping Cid once he’d started on his research.

“Yes, that’s correct. In fact, I’ve found it quite rewarding. I do expect you’re aware of airships’ inability to fly over Jagd, Lady Lucrecia? Of course. Well, the standard skystone --”

Vayne stealthily elbowed Cid, who continued nonetheless. “-- is quite a weak little thing, really, in that the output of magical energy isn’t at all comparable to other stones.”

“Fascinating, I’m sure.” Lucrecia said with great irritation. Cid didn’t notice her tone and continued.

“Indeed it is! The problem of Jagd is for the moment solvable thus --”

“Ah, the main course has arrived,” the Lady remarked, both relieved and miserable.

The main course was glazed ham, and well-prepared glazed ham at that. Vayne and Lady Lucrecia took small, well-mannered bites; Cid tried to imitate and did not succeed. Vayne shot him a look. Lucrecia did the opposite, staring intently into the cured meat as she ate.

“Ci-DOL-fus,” Vayne snarled in a low voice, “You’re not in the damned laboratory anymore, DO act like it.”

At least he waited until his mouth was no longer full of ham to issue a reply. “You know I haven’t had such esteemed company since Ffamran left. Do allow me to adjust.” He took a very deliberate bite of the ham while Vayne continued to glare.

“You realize how important this affair is to our goals and to the success of YOUR research.”

“I also realize how well-supported my laboratory is in the first place,” said Cid with a chuckle. “Well-endowed, if you will. Financially.”

Lucrecia, having overheard Cid’s comment, gave a pronounced cough and turned to another noblewoman for a chat. Vayne shot Cid another look.

“That was in poor taste. You’ve made Lady Lucrecia quite uncomfortable.”

“And I find her becoming disquiet in poor taste. I merely state fact.” He still grinned.

Vayne gave a bodily sigh and started in on his ham. As the young man withdrew, Cid began to chuckle to himself. For the most part, he was ignored, until it became apparent that his laughter was increasing in force and volume. He seemed to be trying to dial it back, but it was little use. The other nobles shifted uncomfortably.

“Cidolfus,” said Vayne, “perhaps you should excuse yourself.”

Cid nodded, breathless and with tears in his eyes. As he stood to leave, every eye was on him. He gave as polite of a nod as he could before hurrying to the restroom, still with the occasional giggle. When he arrived, he slammed the door behind him and began to cackle wildly.

“Oh, Faram,” he said to himself, choked with laughter, “I’m never going to get those grants.”


End file.
